Done Being Fed Up
by Shinku Ryuuga
Summary: With a slightly different past, and a different outlook on life, Harry Potter is not taking any more. Dragons can go stuff themselves, jealous berks can rot and why are all these girls throwing themselves at him? Blatantly and not? (Inspired by oobidoobi's pessimist/realist HP art)


Harry Potter looked at the closed door in his small bedroom, formerly Dudley's second closet. Hissing a bit, he closes an eye, still gripping his arm. He tries to lay down on his old bed again, wincing some. Being malnourished for years on top of needing to heal himself occasionally over the summer really counteracted those potions Madam Pomfrey gave him every year. He doubted that this year would really help beyond keeping him at an average height. You'd think Vernon would tone down the drunken rampages after a while... or have an outlet that wasn't Harry over the summer. Well, bugger him. At least he'd be going to the Weasley's soon and then be staying the rest of summer with them, capping it off with the Quidditch World Cup. Probably best to not let them see his arm in a sling.

...at least it was only his arm this time. Well, time to get to work...

(Break)

Seeing a blonde head turn a corner that was taller than any other he knew, Harry hoped it wouldn't be...

"Hello, leetle boy."

God... dammit. "Hello, Fleur." He tries not to grab his nose under his glasses as the two pause in the hallway. Currently, classes were going on, but it was History of Magic for him so instead of napping Harry was out and about, for once making use of his 'Champion' perks. He didn't know... "What brings you here?"

"Exploreeing ze castle, presently. What reason do you have for skeeping class, leetle boy?"

He drew in a breath, and let it out. At least she wasn't angry he got tugged into this stupid thing any more. "Alright, Fleur. Can you just drop the 'leetle boy' thing already? Malnutrition, we get it." ...crap, did he let that slip?

Fleur huffed a bit, and gave him a bit of a smirk. "Allow me to give you some raison for why I do. One, smaller than moi. Two, younger than moi. Three," here she reached forward to pull Harry into a hug he was not comfortable with. Before he could push her away harshly, the French witch took a step back, crouched some and placed her hand on his cheek. "Or I can call you 'leetle. Man.' Hm~?"

"...why does that sound **more** condescending?"

Fleur laughed a bit at his statement before asking if Harry would care to join her on walking through Hogwarts. She wanted to familiarize herself with the castle some before her family came to visit for New Year's Eve. "Perhaps you'd like to join us?"

"...know what. Sure. I'm not going anywhere, if we even can this year." Harry found himself walking alongside the Beauxbatons Champion, talking about this or that with her as they walked. He shared with Fleur a few of the less dirty passageways for getting away from people unnoticed. Eventually, the topic comes to the series of books written about his fictional adventures. Most of the wizarding world knew that those were a bunch of hokum, but Harry let them stay around because they helped with the United Kingdom's morale in the years since Voldemort's fall for believers and non. Maybe once the Dark Tosser was dead for good and he was a bit older, he'd ask that they stop being published. "But... none of those books are real. At all."

"Hm? Oui?"

"...actually, if they were, there's no way in hell you'd let Gabby read them."

"...'Arry?"

"That... isn't for children..." Welp, hello memories of times at Privet Drive. "Bad..." And right in front of a new friend, too.

"'Arry?! 'Ey!"

"M'fine."

"Wha-"

"I'm f... I'm fine. Fine."

"'Arry?! What are-"

 _Freaks don't cry_

 _No pain_

 _Tears... bad..._

 _Only punished._

"'Arry?"

 _Freaks... don't cry..._

"Harry! 'Arry!"

"What? Fleur? Where...?"

"Are you okay?!" Deep breaths, Potter. Just... let the kind woman hold you and take deep breaths. Castle, Fleur, a bit of his sweat, Fleur... okay. Okay. You're fine.

"I'm okay now, Fleur. Thanks." He starts to extricate himself from her, fixing his glasses before starting to walk away. "Think I'll go grab a snack from the kitchens."

"Wait a..." And that was her hand on his shoulder. "'Arry. What did you mean wiz ze 'mal-nu-tri-cion'?"

Hopefully at least one person would buy this... "Food was... scarce, where I grew up."

"Iz. Zat. Zo?" He had a feeling that her expression did not say she bought it.

"It's fine. Nothing's wrong, Fleur." With that, they resumed moving through the castle. Harry pointed out a few places that he knew random facts about, like that suit of armor being the conductor for the others if a student asked them to sing. Or that painting's occupants shifting into werewolves if a full moon hit them. And, if you came to this particular staircase between dinner and curfew, the stairs would lead you out onto a balcony that had a great view of the setting sun. "Haven't found the stairs that take you up to a view of the rising sun, but if I find it this year, I'll let you know."

Fleur smiles and nods. "I'd like zat. Zank you, 'Arry." She gives his shoulder a squeeze before heading to the carriage, the pair having made it to the Entrance Hall where he would need to head to his next lesson. Flitwick was going to be teaching them something interesting again, he just knew it. While he hadn't figured out the egg's puzzle yet, there was going to be some progress made soon, he just knew it!


End file.
